Anastasia K. Armeni, Vasiliki Vasileiou, George Markantes, Christina Damoulari, Angelina Mandrapilia, Fotini A. Kosmopoulou, Varvara Keramisanou, Danai Georgakopoulou, Neoklis A. Georgopoulos
Cases of sexual reassignment in Greco-Roman antiquity, presenting as a pubertal female-to-male gender transformation, are described in the “classical” literature. Textual evidence concerning a case of androgynism, garnered by Diodorus Siculus, among other similar accounts …
Nikolaos E. Koundourakis, Nikolaos Androulakis, Eirini C. Spyridaki, Elias Castanas, Niki Malliaraki, Christos Tsatsanis, Andrew N. Margioris
OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of three seasonal training programs, largely different in strength volume, on androgen levels and performance parameters in soccer players. DESIGN: Sixty-seven soccer players, members of three different professional teams, participated in the study …
Sophia Kitsiou-Tzeli, Maria Deligiorgi, Sophia Malaktari-Skarantavou, Charalampos Vlachopoulos, Spyridon Megremis, Irene Fylaktou, Joanne Traeger-Synodinos, Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein, Christodoulos Stefanadis, Emmanuel Kanavakis
OBJECTIVE: Frasier syndrome (FS) phenotype in 46,XY patients usually consists of female external genitalia, gonadal dysgenesis, high risk of gonadoblastoma and the development of end stage renal failure usually in the second decade of life. FS is caused by heterozygous de novo intronic splice site mutations …
Blair T. Crewther, Liam P. Kilduff, Charlie Finn, Phil Scott, Christian J. Cook
OBJECTIVE: To address the rapid influence of testosterone (T) on neuromuscular performance, we compared the T and physical performance responses of adults exposed to a physical and psychological stimulus. DESIGN: A group of healthy men (n=12) and women (n=14) each completed three treatments using a randomised, crossover design: exercise involving five × ten-second cycle sprints, viewing a video clip with aggressive content and a control session …
Ana Filipa Martins, João Martin Martins, Sónia do Vale, Teresa Dias, Catarina Silveira, Inês Rodrigues da Silva, Maria Carmo-Fonseca
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 2 (MEN2) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), pheochromocytoma and primary hyperparathyroidism. MEN2 is an autosomal dominant syndrome caused by mutations in the RET proto-oncogene …
Jong Wook Kim, Eun Sook Kim, Woojun Kim, Young Do Kim, Eun Young Mo, Sung Dae Moon, Je Ho Han
A diagnosis of central hypothyroidism (CH) can be missed easily or delayed without a high index of suspicion due to normal or slightly altered thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels during the initial screening test for thyroid dysfunction …
Charis Girvalaki, Constantine Vardavas, Christopher Papandreou, Georgia Christaki, Anna Vergetaki, Ioanna G. Tsiligianni, Christos Hatzis, Anthony Kafatos
OBJECTIVE: To investigate all the important factors contributing to the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) as well as to explore the changes of these factors, over time, by comparing adolescent populations of rural areas of Heraklion, Crete, for the years 2011 and 1989 …
Michela Rosaria Campo, Olga Lamacchia, Anna Farese, Antonella Conserva, Giuseppe Picca, Gianpaolo Grilli, Mauro Cignarelli
OBJECTIVE: Primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD), an uncommon cause of Cushing’s syndrome, is frequently associated with a wider clinical spectrum, the Carney complex (CC), a multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome …
Panagiota Pervanidou, Despoina Bastaki, Giorgos Chouliaras, Katerina Papanikolaou, Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein, George Chrousos
OBJECTIVE: Pediatric obesity commonly co-exists with emotional and behavioral disorders, while disturbed cortisol concentrations have been reported in both obese and chronically stressed individuals with anxiety and/or depression. We investigated the prevalence of internalizing and externalizing problems …
Anna Angelousi, Filip Fencl, Fabio R. Faucz, Jana Malikova, Zdenek Sumnik, Jan Lebl, Constantine A. Stratakis
OBJECTIVE: Corticotropin (ACTH)-independent hypercortisolism due to bilateral adrenocortical hyperplasia (BAH) in infancy is an extremely rare condition that is often caused by McCune Albright syndrome (MAS). MAS is caused by an activating mutation of the GNAS gene which leads to increased cyclic (c) adenosine monophosphate (AMP) signaling …
Elena Tsourdi, Matthias Gruber, Martina Rauner, Judith Blankenburg, Tjalf Ziemssen, Lorenz C. Hofbauer
CONTEXT: Alemtuzumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against CD52, is effective in the treatment of early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). Common adverse effects include an acute-phase reaction, infections and autoimmune diseases, including thyroid disorders …
Vasiliki Daraki, Sofia Koukouraki, George Velegrakis, Evangelia Mamalaki, Vrettos T. Haniotis, George Kalikakis, Maria I. Stathaki, Nikos Karkavitsas, Stathis S. Papavasiliou
OBJECTIVE: To describe a rare case of occult (<1cm in diameter) medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in a 45-year-old woman, presenting as an asymptomatic mediastinal mass. DESIGN: The diagnostic methodology included laboratory measurements of relevant biochemical and hormonal parameters ...
Gideon de Sousa, Rainer Wunsch, Werner Andler
We report the findings and clinical course of ten girls aged 0.2 to 6.3 years with precocious pseudopuberty due to autonomous ovarian cysts. We found elevated oestrogen levels in five patients and failure of gonadotropin response to GnRH stimulation in four patients during the first episode, of the disease …
Kalliopi Lampropoulou-Adamidou, Symeon Tournis, Alexia Balanika, Ioulia Antoniou, Ioannis P. Stathopoulos, Christos Baltas, Ioannis K. Triantafillopoulos, Nikolaos A. Papaioannou
OBJECTIVE: Despite the existence of numerous case series, no evidenced-based medical management for atypical fractures associated with bisphosphonate (BP) treatment has been established. DESIGN: We report the outcome of teriparatide (TRP) administration followed …
Alfredo Campennì, Rosaria Maddalena Ruggeri, Alessandro Sindoni, Salvatore Giovinazzo, Letterio Calbo, Antonio Ieni, Maurizio Monaco, Giovanni Tuccari, Salvatore Benvenga, Sergio Baldari
Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is a rare malignancy with an indolent but progressive course. This rare tumour is often difficult to diagnose preoperatively, thus limiting the efficacy of surgery. As long-term survival is largely dependent on the extent of the primary surgical resection …
Asteroula Papathanasiou, Eleni Kousta, Vasiliki Skarpa, Petros Papachileos, Vasilios Petrou, Charalambos Hadjiathanasiou
Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome (APs) type 2 is characterized by the presence of Addison’s disease, in association with autoimmune thyroid disease and/or type 1 diabetes mellitus and is rare in children. A 12.5yr old prepubertal boy presented with symptoms related to Addison’s disease and a large goiter. He was euthyroid with positive thyroid antibodies, low cortisol, aldosterone and very high adrenocorticotropin …
George K. Daikos
The Hippocratic medical school (the medical school of Kos) was not an isolated phenomenon but the evolution and consequence of previous ideas and practices derived from many older sources. Hippocratic medicine1-3 replaced the theurgical and hieratic medicine, succeeding to and evolving from the medicine of the Minoan civilization of Crete …
Maria Andrikoula, Amalia Sertedaki, Sofia Andrikoula, Catherine Dacou-Voutetakis, Agathocles Tsatsoulis
PROP-1 gene mutations have been reported as a cause of combined pituitary hormone deficiency. Physical and hormonal phenotypes of affected individuals are variable. We report a 63-year-old female who presented with osteoporosis
Assimina Galli-Tsinopoulou, Eleftheria Emmanouilidou, Paraskevi Karagianni, Maria Grigoriadou, John Kirkos, George S. Varlamis
Silver Russell Syndrome (SRS) is a rare condition (1/3000 – 1/100,000 newborns). We present a female infant with SRS, cardiac malposition and asymmetric enlargement of the clitoris. She is the first child of Greek nonconsanguinous parents, born at 38 weeks gestation …
Güven Barış Cansu, Bengür Taşkıran, Giampaolo Trivellin, Fabio R. Faucz, Constantine A. Stratakis
Familial isolated pituitary adenomas (FIPA) constitute 2-3% of pituitary tumours. AIP is the most commonly mutated gene in FIPA. We herein report a novel germline mutation of the AIP gene in a family with FIPA. We present two patients, a father and his 12-year-old daughter, diagnosed clinically and using laboratory measures with acromegaly-gigantism …
Alfredo Campennì, Salvatore Giovinazzo, Lorenzo Curtò, Ernesto Giordano, Maria Trovato, Rosaria M. Ruggeri, Sergio Baldari
OBJECTIVE: Thyroid hemiagenesis is a rare congenital disorder characterized by the absence of a lobe and/or of isthmus. Studies on the association between thyroid hemiagenesis, Graves’ disease and differentiated thyroid cancer are rare …
Labrini Papanastasiou, Theodora Pappa, Aikaterini Dasou, Efi Kyrodimou, George Kontogeorgos, Christianna Samara, Panagiotis Bacaracos, Athanasios Galanopoulos, George Piaditis
OBJECTIVE: Primary central nervous system (CNS) non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a rarely encountered clinical entity. Here we present a case of a primary CNS diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma developed on a previously operated and irradiated pituitary macroadenoma. DESIGN-RESULTS: A 60-year-old woman presented with muscle weakness …
Stelios Tigas, Petros Papachilleos, Nikolaos Ligkros, Maria Andrikoula, Agathocles Tsatsoulis
Glucocorticoids are commonly used in the treatment of patients with thyroid disorders, in particular Graves’ ophthalmopathy. Thyrotoxic hypokalemic periodic paralysis (TPP) is an infrequent but potentially serious condition characterised by recurrent episodes of weakness associated with hypokalemia …
Noel P. Somasundaram, Chaminda Garusinghe, Dan Berney, Ashley B. Grossman
Cushings’s syndrome due to ectopic adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) secretion was first described nearly a century ago by Hurst Brown. Bronchial carcinomas, usually bronchial carcinoids, were the first to be described and continue to be the leading cause of the ectopic ACTH syndrome …
Anastasia Sfikakis, Pothitos M. Pitychoutis, Aikaterini Tsouma, Ioanna Messari, Zeta Papadopoulou-Daifoti
OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of circulating testosterone (T) and the T/Estradiol (T/Ediol) ratio on chronic stress-induced changes of adrenal and hippocampal weight during proestrus (PE) and estrus (E) in female rats. DESIGN: Stress was composed of repeated vaginal smear screening (VSS) and measured by the emotional reactivity score …